Warriors: The Bane of the Clans
by auralythic
Summary: “The bane of the Clans will soon come. More banes will follow and death will result.” The dark prophecy haunts ThunderClan for moons until a strange, young cat finds the clan, and fights her way in. Or has it just begun? Set sometime after New Prophecy.
1. Prologue

The sweet, familiar scent of the tortoiseshell who was near and dear to her heart teased her nose. The brown tabby lifted her head and saw that she was no longer in her home, surrounding by scents of herbs and berries, but in a starlit forest. Her tailtip twitched in delight over the beautiful, peaceful forest but her reverie was broken by the scent of the cat who guided her dreams and watched over her in life. The graceful she-cat of StarClan looked back at the tabby, and the living cat's joy was quickly washed away by a wave of apprehension; Spottedleaf's face turned sullen as she looked back at the cat who closely followed.

Leafpool shuddered at the sight; rarely did Spottedleaf ever look at her like that! She was about to ask her what was wrong when Spottedleaf cut her off with a twitch of her tail. The former medicine cat turned around, flicked her tail in a beckoning manner, then dashed through the forest. Leafpool was taken aback but quickly sprang after her, bolting as fast as her legs could carry. Though she knew she was dreaming, her heart was racing with the effort. She flew madly through the forest, but still she lost sight of the tortoiseshell cat. Only her scent assured Leafpool that Spottedleaf was still nearby.

A voice of a thousand cats or one cat froze Leafpool in her tracks. "The bane of the Clans will soon come. More banes will follow and death will result."

The ThunderClan medicine cat's eyes grew wide with the foreboding prophecy and her mouth slowly parted in shock. She snapped awake, blinking her eyes slowly and pensively, but did not yet rise. _Banes,_ she thought, swallowing nervously. _And, _she paused, nervously._ Death…_


	2. Chapter 1

Swift paws dashed through the garden and a lithe, powerful form sprang onto the fence that divided comfortable, familiar life from the thrill and unknown of the forest. Her large, tufted ears pricked in anticipation as her short tail twitched to aid in her balance on the fence. She sat up, taking in the sights with wide, wild eyes and tried to stand up on the fence but her large paws could not quite hold their footing; she was still very young and though her agility was often every bit as good as her housemates', the clumsiness of youth still reared its ugly head now and then. Hissing in frustration, she shot out her claws and scrabbled to retain her grip.

An enormous force pummeled into the fence the very moment she tried to hoist herself up, shaking it violently. The red cat yowled in shock and kicked back against the fence with her huge hind paws to give her a chance not only at landing square, but also to catch a glimpse of what may be waiting for her. In an instant, she was grateful that she reacted the way she did; had she not kicked out, the huge, black jaws would have seized her.

The dog leaped into the air with a short yip of satisfaction but landed empty-mouthed. The cat was right there and he should have finally had her in his grasp, but now the cat was nowhere to be seen. The black dog stood tall and rigid on its toes, tail high in the air with the tip wagging stiffly. His eyes darted about and he took deep, scent-searching breaths as he raised a brown paw. He froze as his erect ears caught a slight rustling noise, then he wheeled his head to the source of the noise, only to see a small, red streak of screeching fury launch straight into his face.

"Think you could catch me with that lame move, Dog?" She screeched the challenge to the beast just as she landed on his large, dark head. Her rear claws gripped deep into his thick fur as she battered his ears with half-sheathed front claws. "Nice move on the fence, but you fail," she continued, exposing her stark, white teeth in a mirthful grin. "You're never gonna beat me, you old hound," she cackled. By now, the dog was yelping and bucking, desperately trying to shake his prey that somehow turned into his tormentor. The cat bounced off the dog's head and landed squarely on the dog's rump, digging her claws in without regard. As the dog screamed and turned, gnashing jaws in frustration at his inability to reach her small tail, she bit the base of his tail hard, and then sprang off, bolting for the fence.

She propelled herself up, this time gripping the fence surely, turned her head and called down to the whimpering creature, "Hey, Dog! We may fight a lot, but remember I will always win- I am your bane!" She raised her ruddy tail to him and waggled her rear, taunting the canine with her spotted rear and a teasing, ear-to-ear grin. The dog flattened his ears and barreled into the fence with an angered roar but the cat had already flowed down from it and was trotting smugly into the forest.

_ Stupid dog,_ she thought. _That big, mud-colored klutz should know by now that I always claw his fur off! _She grinned mischievously to herself and chortled in glee, remembering all the fights and skirmishes with the poor creature.

When she was a young kit, the Furless would protect her from the dog and ensure the dog always played with her gently and minded himself around her, but that soon changed. The dog was still many times her size, but she was wild, brave, cunning, and always out for trouble. It wasn't long before the dog began to fight back, no longer honoring the wishes and demands of the Furless. At first, the tall, pink and brown ones would scold the dog. How dare he lay a fang on a poor, defenseless kit! Soon, the Furless noticed the dog wasn't the only one instigating the fights. In fact, the cat seemed to be starting most of the battles. The Furless did their best to keep the peace, correcting both dog and cat and even trying to separate them, but it was no use; both dog and cat would eventually find a way to meet, and find themselves in another heated battle. To any bystander, it would seem they were set upon ripping each other to shreds. Several neighboring cats would witness the encounters and flee for the safety of their nests, bushed tails tucked low in fright. Despite the ferocity of the battles, the dog and the cat never truly hurt each other. Sure, there were plenty of scratches and great piles of fur would often mark the site of a skirmish, but the cat always came out alive. Both creatures seemed to enjoy fighting for the sake of fighting.

Her littermates never joined in the tussles and fighting games; she was the roughest, most boisterous and vehement cat of the household, save for her parents. The Furless kept them in a large garden that was fenced even higher than the one surrounding the home. Sometimes, the Furless would allow her mother to come into the house, but the visits usually didn't last long. She still saw her mother frequently, but she did not want to end up like that, living in a tight space.

_ I will not let them keep me like that,_ she scowled. Her kitlike gloating vanished in the face of serious musings. She thought of her short life thus far and where it could head, then she looked at the beautiful forests around here. New smells around every bush, fantastic sights at each new tree, and- rustling! Over by that bramble bush! Instinctively, she dropped to the hunter's crouch. Though she was still young, she had already been on several successful hunting excursions. Her mother praised her skills and said it was due to her "wild blood," but the ruddy cat always believed she was simply "the best hunter ever" and made sure to boast with every killed prey.

The shuffling creature poked its head out of the leaf litter before darting back to browsing. It still had not sensed danger and was busily rooting in the plant material. Her eyes grew wide as saucers to take in every detail of her prey and its immediate surroundings and her huge ears trained themselves on the animal. The first time she stalked an animal in the forest, the crackle of leaves and snapping of twigs gave her away almost immediately. She has since learned to take great pains when stalking, lifting her wide paws slowly and setting them down almost excruciatingly slowly after a cursory feel of what would be under her paw. She suddenly grew conscious of her ridiculously large ears, thinking they must stand out like a screeching raven, so she slowly pinned them back. The small animal was making enough of a visual disturbance that she could easily stalk with her sight, but the wind was also in her favor.

The small creature was now only a long pounce away, but she still wanted to get closer. She froze her advance while she verified the wind direction and listened for any other sounds. Keeping her head still, she let her eyes dart away from her prey to the forest floor between her and the creature. _Good, doesn't seem to be anything big in my way. Still, now is not the time to be cocky,_ she pondered. A small gleam crept into her eyes. _There will be plenty of time for that _after_ I kill it._ She waited until the scuffling creature appeared to have its back turned to her and carefully sneaked further. The rustling stopped, and she knew it was now or never. She sprang.

The mouse tried to squeal, but the heavy paw knocked the air and the life out of it. Triumphantly, she let out a yowl of victory. "Hah! I can do just fine out here! You and your kin will be no match for me. I will be the bane of your kind," she smiled and eyed the lifeless creature with glee, then she picked up the mouse in her jaws and toted it to a nearby bush where she could eat without interruption. Yawning sleepily, she decided a nap would do her well before she proceeded on her way. She pulled her long, thick legs up to her body as she curled up into a ball, then dozed off.

Strange dreams gave her a fitful rest; visions of unknown places flashed by her eyes in rapid succession. Rolling hills with tall grasses waving in gentle winds beneath a blue sky; dark, foreboding pine forests with sinister yowls calling in the shadows; long serpentine rivers of rushing water surrounded by reeds, a rocky ledge overlooking a forest much like the one she was now prowling, then a great flash of blinding light took her to a new scene.

Her dream-self stood in the middle of a lush, green field of grass that waved gently in a light breeze. Blazing white stars graced the dark, moonless night sky but the light of the stars was still bright enough to spill silvery light all around her. She turned around full circle with her mouth agape, eyes wide with surprise and awe at this beautiful, serene place. She sat down and stared up at the sky, amazed at all the stars she could see, then she shook her head and blinked repeatedly. "That dog must have smacked me upside the head somehow- the stars are moving," she muttered, giving herself a final shake. She slowly looked up, but only reached eye level before she shrieked and sprang back, eyes now wide with fear.

Wisps of silvery, animal-like shapes were drifting toward her, slowly gaining cohesion until they formed into cats that proudly walked up to the awestruck feline. Their pelts glittered like the night sky and their eyes seemed to hold the mysteries of the starry sky and the truth and wisdom of generations. Something told her to remain still and not have fear, and she was not sure why exactly but she began to relax. The cats drew around her and she was able to get a good look at them. Some cats had warm, knowing looks, others were stoic and proud, a few appeared very young and though had a look of wisdom, still had that kittenish grin giving them away. Many cats had shadows of sadness in their expressions, a look that haunted the young cat. Despite her initial shock and fear, she met all their gazes. A couple cats blinked or nodded in satisfaction, she noted with intrigue. Interrupting her evaluation, a bluish-silver cat in front of her stepped forward and began to speak.

"The bane of the Clans will come," breathed the cat. The voice was distinctly female, but it also seemed to have the voices of many cats, maybe all the cats. Her sharp hearing had trouble picking out much more. "More banes will follow and death will result." She cocked her head to one side, raised a brow while furrowing another, and curled her lip.

"Huh? What the Rat is a 'Clan?'" she blurted, but there was no answer. A deafening noise that sounded like intense winds in a brutal storm jolted her awake, instantly losing sight of the cats. She bolted up, hackles raised and tail bushed, and whipped her head side to side, trying to get her bearings, but the dream was already slipping away like missed prey. The noise that broke her sleep must have been a breeze rattling the bush in which she napped. She quickly relaxed and allowed her fur to lie flat and slowly blinked sleep out of her eyes. She fell into a steep, rejuvenating stretch, yawned wide and deep, then gave herself a shake. Walking out of the bush, she decided a quick groom would be prudent, and settled just outside to give herself a refreshing wash.

Satisfied, the spotted red cat stood up, shook her thick, soft pelt once more and continued deeper into the forest. She realized she was well away from her home now, but she did not mind. A fleeting thought grazed her mind, and a small part of her knew she would never return, but she did not pay it heed. Today was to be a long outing, nothing more. As she trotted through the woods, she mulled over the pieces left over her interrupted dream.

'_Clan,' _she repeated to herself. _What's a clan? Why should I care? And just who the Rat were all those freakish cats? _Sighing, she shook her head, trying to clear the last bits of the strange dream. "Maybe I had too much catnip before I left today," she muttered, twitching her left ear in confusion. An abandoned house stood in her path, a large eyesore in the middle of the natural woods. She padded alongside its wall, thinking briefly of her house before rounding the corner and coming up to a small, disused path. Cats who lived near her house had told her stories of paths that shiny, monstrous creatures used. The monsters rarely left their paths but they would just as rarely take heed of animals in their way. A friend of hers had a littermate killed by a monster on one of these paths; he had called it a "Thunderpath," named for the thunderous noise the monsters made. Carefully, she crept up to the path, looking both ways with cautious eyes. Parting her jaws to best analyze the air, she breathed in deeply but the calming scents of the forest were all she could smell. Satisfied, she bounded over the path then continued trotting through the forest. She did not get far.

A dark brown shape barreled into her, knocking her squarely onto her side. She felt the weight of the cat sink into her body and, to her dismay, felt a paw push down on her neck just above her black collar. From its odor, she could tell it was a tom, and a pissed-off one at that. She heard the tom gasp, "A kittypet!" His voice lowered into a threatening growl. "What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?"


	3. Chapter 2

"Brambleclaw, come off it, will you?" A fiery-red tabby with green eyes padded up to the dark-pelted tom that held her solid against the ground. Miffed, she continued, "Not all kittypets are bad, remember Firestar, Cloudtail, my sister and I, even? She's probably just lost. Speaking of Cloudtail." The ginger she-cat looked down at her and she stared back, not with the terrified eyes of a captive, but with a calm, calculating stare. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her mind raced, thinking quickly about the predicament and how best to resolve it. The ginger cat's eyes clouded slightly, belying uncertainty after seeing the steady, confident stare of the pinned cat.

"She doesn't seem an ordinary kittypet," the one called Brambleclaw meowed. "The way she carries herself in the forest, how confident she looked, but especially how she's just lying here. I don't think she's even scared. Remember Daisy? If I had pinned her, she would be wailing her fur off. Other kittypets may have at least put up a struggle." He looked down into her eyes, and she held his gaze. "What is your name, Kittypet," he questioned authoritatively. His amber eyes slowly grew wide with surprise as the young, ruddy she-cat_smiled_. The toothy grin sent a shiver down his spine, then he was sent flying.

With unbelievable speed, the she-cat drew in her hind legs, planted her large paws firmly on the belly of her captor, then kicked out with such powerful force that the large tom was kicked into the air and onto his back. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the jaws of the ginger cat drop in total shock before she wheeled over, short tail flailing in the spin, and shot up to her paws. Satisfied with the surprise move and its result, she smiled and gloated. The tom had already got to his feet but he was clearly caught off-guard. He sized up the cat with new eyes, and cautiously watched her, glaring.

"How _dare_ you, stupid kittypet," the orange cat growled, shooting out her claws. "You're going to regret this," she snarled, advancing on the young cat, but the tom shot her a glance and lashed his tail in warning. She held her ground, albeit reluctantly, and stared fury at the young, red cat.

"Kittypet, kittypet, kittypet," she yowled, taunting the two cats with her tone. She began to prowl in a small circle, meowing defiance at them. "I haven't a clue what the Rat that is, but the way you say it doesn't make it sound like a good thing." Are you implying I am _weak?"_ she emphasized interrogatively. I assure you, you furballs, "she spat as the other cats bristled, the she-cat noticeably so, "I'm nothing of the sort." She marched up to the red cat whose neck fur rose. She was straining with the effort of restraining herself. "So what's your name, orange cat?" She raised her tail stiffly and tilted her nose up in arrogance. The ginger cat growled and bunched her muscles, readying to pounce, but the tom quietly meowed a stern warning to her. Though she held her ground, she looked like a beehive ready to explode with livid bees.

"My name is Brambleclaw," the dark brown tom meowed diplomatically as he stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation. "I am deputy of ThunderClan. This," he nodded to the ginger cat, "is Squirrelflight." She is also a warrior of ThunderClan." He carried himself in a strong, dignified manner. The spotted red she-cat noted that he must be a formidable cat, and possibly one of power if that is what "deputy" meant.

_He must be a lot of fun to fight,_ she thought with a perverse delight.

Another tom with long, pure white fur padded upwind out of a nearby bush with a bird in his jaws, and promptly dropped his kill in surprise and froze at the sight before him. "What the-," he started. "What's going on here?" He looked at the red cat who stared back with a gleam of ulterior motives in her eyes, then shot questioning glances to his apparent friends. He half-heartedly assumed a defensive posture, but the sight of the other cats decidedly not fighting seemed to fuel his indecision. He looked at the tabby, who shook his head slowly, and with that the white cat eased, but was still wary.

Brambleclaw took charge again. "He is Cloudtail, a warrior of ThunderClan. He, too, was once a kittypet before he joined ThunderClan." The ginger she-cat raised a brow at Brambleclaw and the white tom looked at him questioningly as well, then snapped his head back to the red cat, and only then did he notice- and focus on- her collar.

"You _are_ a kittypet!" The white cat's exclamation was too much for the young cat; she decided now that "kittypet" was not something held in high regard."

"That's _enough_," she yowled with fury. She straightened up aggressively, ears erect and forward. "Fluffclaw, Squirrelbrain, and White-Butt," the three cats stared incredulously at her, as if a paw suddenly sprouted from her ear, "I don't give a Rat who you are, but I'm done talking! Now, we fight!" She directed her attack at Brambleclaw, eager to have it out with the muscular, broad-shouldered male. She jumped at him, wide paws ending in larger-than normal hooked claws and jaws open in a sinister, yet somehow jubilant, toothy smile.

The tabby tom had a brief flash of uncertainty glance over his face before he collected himself, then shifted aside to let the red cat land, paws outstretched, on the dirt beside him. He was not ready for the cat's next move. Rather than having her hindpaws follow naturally with her landing body, she kicked out at Brambleclaw with her long, solidly-boned legs. She felt her claws dig into him and tear out as he jumped away and grunted with satisfaction. She had no time to gloat as she was promptly swept off her paws and slammed to the ground, pummeled by a flurry of clawed beatings.

"You stupid kittypet, show respect!" Squirrelflight hissed with intense anger at the arrogant young cat as she raked and battered. The young cat was about the same size as the ginger cat, maybe a little larger, but the red cat knew she was much stronger. Stretching out her paws and digging into the forest floor with her thick claws, she was able to secure a strong grip, then she pulled herself to her paws in a crouch, still carrying the belting cat. Slices and scratches were opening on her pelt, but that only increased her fighting spirit. She fended off attempts at biting at her neck with her large jaws, and just as the two toms were about to set themselves onto her, she shifted her weight to her haunches and launched herself vertically into the air. Her long, strongly muscled legs propelled her high enough that the other cats simply stared upwards in awe. Squirrelflight let out a small squeak as she lost grip on the airborne cat and fell back onto the toms, sending Cloudtail sprawling. Brambleclaw quickly glanced over to make sure they were both okay, then turned his focus on the strange cat, but she had flipped head-over-tail in the air and caught the side of his head with an amazingly powerful blow for her size. Blood dripped into his amber eyes

Brambleclaw reached out with his paw, hooking her on the one leg that had her full balance, and pulled it out from under her. She cursed as she fell, pinning her large ears back as the large tabby again held her down, this time using more force than before. The other cats had quickly regrouped; the white cat secured her rear and the ginger she-cat stood closely by, eyes belying her rage. The strange she-cat smiled and twitched an ear at her, taunting her even though she had been defeated. Squirrelflight lashed her tail in fierce anger and looked ready to throw off the toms in favor of ripping out the cocky feline's throat, but Brambleclaw's voice again halted her. The fiery ginger cat definitely respected the tabby.

"You fight very well, especially for a kittypet," Brambleclaw calmly meowed. "Do you hunt your own prey as well?"

"Of course I do," she spat. "I'm an excellent hunter," she boasted with pride. Brambleclaw seemed pleased.

He turned his head to Cloudtail who gave him a questioning look, then nodded. Brambleclaw focused his attention on her and meowed, "I am going to let you up now, but _no more fights."_ He clearly emphasized the latter words and paused to allow that to sink in. He narrowed an eye at her and cocked his head, expecting a response. She curtly nodded her acknowledgement, and Brambleclaw eased off of her, followed slowly and deliberately by Cloudtail. Squirrelflight tensed her muscles, ready to bring down the rude she-cat if necessary.

"Now then," he continued as she slowly rose to her paws, giving herself a good shake. "You're a very strange cat," she tensed and readied a sharp retort, but Brambleclaw swept on. "But you've fought exceptionally well for what you seem to be. You're stronger than you look, too." Her eyes glimmered and a smile crept to her face when the older, more experienced cat complimented her. "I think you should come back with us to the ThunderClan camp." She scowled at his last statement.

"Go to your 'ThunderClan?' As a _prisoner?"_ Her temper again grew short. "I will ne-"

Brambleclaw quickly cut her off with a flick of his tail, raising his voice. "No, not as a prisoner." He lowered his voice and continued. "You should meet our leader, Firestar. He would be very interested in meeting you."

Squirrelflight marched up to Brambleclaw and hissed into his ear, though the young cat could hear everything with her sensitive hearing. "Do you think that's wise? She's completely disrespectful and wild!"

Brambleclaw only smiled and purred back, "She reminds me of someone you and I both know very well." He smiled at her in merriment. Squirrelflight caught his meaning and stared at him with narrowed eyes. She turned her back sharply on him, pointedly flicking his nose with her tail.

"Well then," she sighed with exasperation, turning to the wild cat who was now sitting confidently, small tail waving excitedly. "You're coming back with us. You know all of our names," she emphasized strongly, compelling the cat to forget the earlier insults. "Now, what is yours?"

The young she-cat thought carefully about what to say. She never liked what the Furless called her, and didn't really cared for the name her mother called her. It just didn't seem to suit her. This may be the start of a different path in life for her, so she searched her mind quickly, trying to find a name. Finally, she remembered her boasts and cheers at the end of victorious battles or successful hunts. _Yeah, that would be a great name, _she decided. _It's better than 'Squirrelflight.'_ She rose to her paws and stood tall.

"My name is 'Bane,'" she proclaimed. She was both perturbed and glad when the cats all gave each other looks of shock and uncertainty. They turned back to her. Brambleclaw had regained his composure but the other two cats looked at each other with worry. She broke the silence and meowed, "So, this ThunderClan of yours, is it a bunch of cats living together?"

"Yes," answered Brambleclaw. He meowed on, explaining, "We have a leader, under the leader is the deputy, then we have warriors who are adult cats old enough to fight, guard, and hunt, queens who are caring for kits, apprentices who are young cats learning the warrior ways, elders who have given good service to the clan and finally the kits, who are the Clan's future. We also have a medicine cat who takes care of healing the sick and injured cats. There are three other clans who share the same structure. We live by the Warrior Code and under StarClan, but you'll have everything explained to you in time."

Bane nodded slowly; she wanted to drill him further but sensed there would be a better time for questions. "I noticed that you three have distinct scents, but you also seem to share a common scent. Is that the smell of your Clan," she asked,wrinkling her nose.

"Very impressive, I'm surprised you've caught that," Brambleclaw approved. Squirrelflight looked a little miffed. "Each Clan has a distinct odor. We can distinguish Clan boundaries in that manner." Brambleclaw hadn't finished explaining before Bane stood up and circled around the group, inhaling deeply. He trailed off, a little irritated that the cat wasn't paying attention.

Bane concentrated on the bushes where Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight emerged from when she was first jumped and found a scent trail. She went deeper into the bushes for an instant and confirmed what her nose hinted at. Hopping back out with excitement, she called out to the three warriors. "Have your legs grown roots or what," she yowled sarcastically at them. "I'm going to follow your scent trail back to your camp and I won't be waiting for you to catch up," she meowed, a genuine smile on her face. She bounded back into her bushes and trotted quickly along the scent trail. Bane heard Squirrelflight murmur something inaudible but didn't miss the peeved tone as the three cats sped into the brush to catch up with her. Cloudtail and Brambleclaw flanked her and Squirrelflight followed behind. In her periphery, she noticed that Cloudtail and the brown tabby exchanged incredulous, yet impressed glances at each other.

_I'll show those cats that not only can I hunt and fight, I can track just as well! ThunderClan, beware- Bane is coming!_


End file.
